Kyven Gadson snags silver at the Pan-American Championships
Former Iowa State wrestlers Jake Varner (red) and Kyven Gadson (blue) square off in the semifinals of the Olympic Trials on April 10 in Iowa City, Iowa. Varner won the match, but later lost to Ohio State’s Kyle Snyder in the championship round.
May 6, 2018
Team U.S.A. left the 2018 Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru, with a first-place finish. Contributing to the American team’s strong showing was former Iowa State wrestler Kyven Gadson, who earned a silver medal on Sunday.
Gadson, an NCAA Champion at 197 pounds in 2015, jumped out of the gates with a lopsided win at 97 kilograms (213.8 pounds). Gadson knocked off Mexico’s Miguel Sanchez Geraldo via a 10-0 technical fall.
After cruising to a win in his first match, Gadson’s second match featured much less breathing room on the scoreboard. Gadson and Venezuela’s Jose Diaz Robertti were tied at three points apiece at the end of the semifinal match. Ultimately, Gadson earned the victory off criteria.
With gold on the line, Gadson was pitted against Cuba’s Reineris Salas Perez. Gadson quickly fell behind 6-0, which proved to deep of a hole to overcome for the former Cyclone. Salas Perez won the match, 8-2.
